


always on my mind

by AlexiaBlackbriar13



Series: Olicity AU Series [12]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Nightmares, Prison, Season 6 Related, Season 7 Related, Soulmates, Telepathic Bond, Telepathic Sex, Telepathy, Wedding Rings, season 7 speculation, witsec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 08:30:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15748047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/pseuds/AlexiaBlackbriar13
Summary: As soulmates, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak share a telepathic bond, a connection that allows them to talk and exchange emotions in their minds. Oliver may be in prison, but he and Felicity can still communicate. Whether their bond, strengthened by love, makes the separation easier... is something they have to determine for themselves.





	always on my mind

**Author's Note:**

> an olicity s7 soulmate au, based off this [tweet/prompt](https://twitter.com/lexiblackbriar/status/1030041608455180288).
> 
> many thanks to everybody who supported me in this and encouraged me to write this au.
> 
> special thanks to sam (@ghostfoxlovely), who beta'd and coached me through the writing of this, and bev (@felicityollies), who put up with my weird questions and acting as a sounding board :)
> 
> hope you enjoy <3

* * *

Telepathic connections between soulmate bonds were rare and unusual, but not unheard of. Oliver and Felicity had known they were soulmates from the moment where Slade Wilson pressed a sword into the blonde’s throat and the archer had actually _felt_ it slide against his own skin. They’d known they were lucky to have found each other - everybody in the world was said to have a soulmate, a true partner who if they fell in love with, would form a bond so strong that only death would break it. That was proved when Oliver was kicked off a clifftop after his duel with Ra’s, and their bond refused to break.

But they’d only begun to properly secure the soulmate link between them, allowing them to access their telepathic abilities, once they’d driven off into the sunset on a wild world adventure, where they’d had the time and space to develop their bond.

It wasn’t true telepathy, that was the first thing Oliver and Felicity learned. They could send each other feelings, emotions and general thoughts, sometimes even a couple of words. Sentences were difficult and required a lot of mental effort, which resulted in sudden drains of exhaustion, even passing out. Which Felicity discovered after she tried to ask Oliver telepathically if they could go out for pizza from the other side of their vacation villa near Lake Como, and almost instantly fell unconscious, freaking the archer out so much he nearly ran her to the nearest hospital.

The bond made lying practically impossible. Somehow, despite that, Oliver still managed to keep young William Clayton a secret from his soulmate. And yet even after they broke up, the connection remained. It helped them communicate when Oliver was out in the field, when Felicity needed to see him to relay intel, when they were undercover and needed to talk without talking aloud.

The only downside of the bond was that when Oliver and Felicity tried to date other people, the other would be hit with an immediate burst of intense sadness and depression if one of them tried to kiss, hug or have sex with another person. Transference of pain was also one other issue - when Adrian Chase tortured Oliver for over a week, determined to break him mentally, Felicity was placed into a position of indescribable agony as well, experiencing Oliver’s anguish, feeling the precise moment when he just gave up, not caring if he lived or died. 

Marriage only solidified the bond and wove their minds together even deeper. The two of them became so enveloped in each other’s souls that sensing each other’s emotions became natural and having a conversation without actually speaking became instinct. Distance became insignificant - even if they were across the city from each other, or even across the country, it was still possible for them to talk. If they were focused on each other, they could actually talk out loud and still receive the message. They’d never heard of any other bonded soulmate pairs being able to do that, so they reckoned that was something uniquely special to them.

It was the ability to sense Oliver’s emotions through the bond that signified to Felicity that something was wrong after Team Arrow teamed up with Agent Watson and the FBI to take down Diaz. She kept receiving pulses of _defeat_ and _sadness_ from Oliver. It confused her immensely. Whenever she tried to probe a little deeper, brushing gently up against his mind with her own as she urged him softly to tell her what was wrong, Oliver shuttered, placing up mental barriers that made it harder for Felicity to figure out what was happening and why he was feeling so dejected.

Barely twenty-four hours later, she was forced to watch on in horror as Oliver was led away by Agent Watson in handcuffs, hugging William to her side as he sobbed into her coat. She knew that he could feel her sorrow and despair just as clearly as she could feel his resignation. As Oliver was maneuvered into an FBI vehicle for transport to processing, Felicity met his gaze. His eyes were filled with tears and she felt herself begin to cry silently once again as _I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I love you, forgive me, I’m sorry_ flooded into her mind.

“Why did you do this, Oliver?” she whispered, watching as the car with her husband inside it was driven away. Dinah appeared from behind and started quickly shepherding Felicity and William back inside the police precinct, away from the crowd of reporters. “Why didn’t you just tell me your plan? How are William and I meant to do this without you?”

The rush of emotions Oliver sent back in response was so overwhelming that Felicity choked and fell to her knees. William shouted out in alarm, kneeling next to her as Dinah frantically asked what was wrong. Felicity’s brain ached as _must protect you, I love you, must save you_ , echoed through her thoughts, followed by _I trust you, I love you, love William, must be safe._

“Oh, Oliver,” she murmured. Placing a hand over their heart, she could almost feel his fingers resting over hers. No doubt he had his own hand in the same position, the bond allowing a brief physical connection. “I love you too, but do you not understand how difficult you’ve made this for us? Diaz is still out there… I need my husband and William needs his father.”

“Are you talking to Dad?” the thirteen-year-old asked quietly, hearing her words despite her lowered voice. “Through… through your soulmate bond?”

“Yeah,” she replied softly, stroking a hand through his hair as William hugged her. “Yeah, we’re… we can feel each other.”

“Does that mean that even though Dad’s in jail, you’ll be able to speak with him?” Will asked, a spark of hope flaring in his eyes.

Felicity blinked in realization. That would be possible. She and Oliver could easily communicate every day using the bond while he was in prison. Her husband must have just realized too, because she felt a little flicker of surprise and relief.

“Yeah, I think it does,” she breathed.

_Easy_ , Oliver said. _Easy, easy, easy._

She sniffed, the tears spilling now ones of happiness and not misery. No matter how far away from Oliver she was, whether he was in prison and might never get out… she might never get to hold him in her arms and kiss him ever again, but they could at least _talk_. Their connection would remain until the day they both died, as strong as their love for one another.

_Love you_ , she pushed back at Oliver. _Love you, every day._

Their telepathic bond was going to become their saving grace.

* * *

As Felicity woke up early in the morning, alone in bed in some off the radar ARGUS safehouse, several hundred miles from Star City, she could instantly tell that her husband, who was another thousand miles away in Slabside Supermax, was also awake and had been for a while.

_Good morning_ , she sent through the bond, accompanying her greeting with a burst of affection.

Oliver responded within seconds, and Felicity shuddered under the blankets as waves of tenderness washed over her. _Good morning, I love you, good morning!_

Slipping off the mattress, she stretched out and began gathering her clothes from the floor, where she’d dumped them last night after being too tired to hang them up. She didn’t have a change of clothes since they had rushed to the safehouse and couldn’t risk heading home to pack a bag, in case people wanting to kill her and William were waiting for them there. Lyla had allowed her to borrow an ARGUS t-shirt for sleeping in. Oliver remained a buzz at the back of her mind as she slipped back into her bra and dress, combing her fingers through her hair and then tying it up into a messy bun.

_William?_ Oliver questioned, as the blonde headed out into the living area. Diggle and Lyla were sitting on the couch, drinking coffee while watching rolling news footage about the arrest of Green Arrow. Felicity quickly went into the kitchen to grab herself a mug of caffeine. _William, safe, okay?_

Felicity glanced around, noting that the bedroom William had vanished into last night still had its door closed. “Probably still asleep,” she answered her husband out loud, her voice a faint murmur. “He was exhausted yesterday.”

She’d still spoken loud enough for Lyla and Diggle to hear her, however, as Lyla turned to her curiously and questioned, “You talking to Oliver?”

“Just saying good morning.” Felicity flashed her a weak smile.

“How’s he holding up?” Diggle asked.

Felicity relayed the question and nearly fell over when Oliver closed their bond, stopping her from feeling his emotions. A whispered _I’m sorry_ echoed through as he did so, but other than that, he disconnected from her without warning. Felicity’s heart sank in her chest. The only reason why her husband would refuse to answer that question was if he was truly _not_ okay, but didn’t want her to know about it.

Diggle was still waiting for a reply, so she just shook her head sadly and said, “Not good.”

“Lyla and I have been authorized to visit Oliver at Slabside, so we’ll keep an eye on him while you and William are… _away_ ,” Diggle reassured her.

“Thank you. I have the feeling that Oliver’s going to be blocking me out quite a bit so he doesn’t have to be truthful about his emotions.”

“If anybody can keep him honest, it’s you, Felicity,” Lyla smiled.

She thought about that time when Adrian Chase trapped her and Oliver in the bunker, and how by gently prodding at him through the bond, using soft touches and comfort, Felicity had encouraged the archer to open up. He’d poured his heart out about his insecurities and pain, even after that psychopath had captured and tortured him for a week, forcing him to throw up mental walls of protection.

“I hope so,” she said quietly.

* * *

It was the day Felicity and William were going to be secretly transported across the country to begin their new lives in witness protection, and the blonde stood in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to decide what color to dye the ends of her hair.

She glanced between the box of blue dye and pink, biting her lip. She’d wanted to keep her hair blonde, but the agent handling her and William’s Witsec case had told her she needed to at least dye it partly, otherwise there was a risk of being recognized.

_Pink_ , Oliver suddenly offered, the bond flying open. Felicity’s knees buckled and she gripped the rim of the sink for support as she connected with her husband - the first time in a couple of days. Oliver was obviously going through a very difficult time in prison because he’d forced their bond shut, not wanting Felicity to sense him or his pain. _Pink. Looks amazing._

“Pink, huh?” her lips ticked up into a smirk. “You thinking about when I got my hair dip-dyed this color during our road-trip?”

_Will look AMAZING_ , Oliver repeated, pushing adoration and fondness and _lust_ through the bond. Yes, she was fully aware of how sexy he’d found the pink hair.

“I vote for blue,” William said, appearing in the doorway. He was ruffling his hair dry with a towel, and it was now colored dark brown, starkly different from his usual dirty blonde. It threw Felicity for a second, and she blinked at him in surprise. She could see now why dying hair was a good cover for Witsec. She hardly recognized her stepson with darker hair. “Blue will look really cool.”

“Your dad votes for pink,” she told him.

“Dad’s not gonna see it,” William replied shortly. There was a slightly bitter tone to his voice that caused Felicity to wince. “I think blue will look good on you. Although if you prefer the pink, I’ll like the pink too.”

Oliver was silent through the bond, but he hadn’t closed it off again. Felicity could feel that he was hurt and a little disappointed at his son’s anger towards him, but Oliver also accepted it, thought he deserved it.

Felicity slid the box of blue dye to the back of the counter and began opening up the pink box, setting it up to use. “I’m going to be about half an hour, so if you want, you can grab that new laptop Lyla got for me and download some games onto it for the flight,” she told the kid.

“Cool.” William vanished out of the bathroom.

Beginning the steady process of applying the dye to her hair, Felicity brushed up against Oliver’s consciousness, trying to determine how he was both physically and mentally, as she knew that directly asking him would result in him pushing her out again. Felicity could tell that Oliver was in pain from just grazing against their bond. He was extremely tired and he was injured. Only a couple of days in prison, and he’d already been attacked. Judging by his skittishness and concern, he was worried about it happening again.

_Hurt?_ she sent.

_No, fine,_ he replied.

“You’re terrible at lying,” she muttered, because that wouldn’t translate well through the bond.

_FINE_ , he insisted.

“Alright. If you’re _fine_ then you’ll open the bond completely,” she hisses. “Because I can tell you have it constrained at the moment and if I can feel your pain now, despite that, then that means you’ve been hurt. _Badly._ ”

There was a beat of silence.

Felicity closed her eyes with a heavy sigh when she felt Oliver withdraw, stung by her harsh words. _Sorry_ , he whispered. _I’m sorry, sorry, I’m sorry. I love you, I miss you, I’m sorry._

“Oliver, I -”

He was gone.

Felicity growled in frustration, swiping her hand over the counter and sending everything flying onto the bathroom floor. “Dammit, Oliver.” But she knew it was her fault too. “Dammit…”

* * *

He was reading _The Count of Monte Cristo_ when Felicity initiated the bond connection again, several days after Felicity Smoak had transformed into Megan King, a widowed mother looking after her thirteen-year-old child, Jonas King. She was in the middle of a particularly boring shift at the coffee shop she was working at, with only two customers to wait on. They were regulars who liked to sit around all day, getting a couple of top-ups while they typed on their laptops, and they didn’t bother her much. She figured she might as well reach out to her husband, especially as he’d been giving her the cold shoulder recently.

_Good book?_ she asked.

Even his mental voice was weary as he responded, _Yes… relate to Dantès._

She laughed softly at that. _Not surprised. Am I Mercédès?_

She received a general confirmation. But nothing else.

Oliver was hurt again. He was trying to hide his pain from her, but was failing epically. Felicity’s cheek, right arm, and left side burned, as if they’d been cut with a knife. Her husband had been attacked in prison again.

_Who hurt you?_ she demanded.

_Felicity._

_Was it a guard?_

_Felicity…_

She shook her head, gritting her teeth in annoyance. She wanted to know who had hurt her husband. If he didn’t give her information, she would hack into the Slabside network to find out for herself. _Tell me._

He was reluctant, but obeyed her command. _Not guard. Another inmate. Not bad, promise, fine, okay. Trying keep head down. Trying not fight._

“If they threaten your life and try to kill you, you should defend yourself,” she whispered.

_Can’t. Dangerous. Could kill another inmate… lengthen sentence. Punish._

“You shouldn’t get punished if you’re stopping somebody who is attacking you.”

_Not how works here._

Her eyes filled with tears. “I hate this,” she whispered, curling her hands into fists and hitting the granite coffee shop worktops with her knuckles. “I hate being separated from you, I hate you being in prison and I hate this stupid Witsec life. I just want to be with you again.”

_… I’m sorry._

He was upset. She’d upset him. She could feel that Oliver thought this was all his fault. And the worst part of it was that she couldn’t console him, she couldn’t reassure him that he wasn’t to blame.

“Hey, Megan, can I get a top-up?” one of the regular customers called, startling her out of her head.

“Sure!” She refilled his mug, biting her lip when she felt Oliver jerk in confusion, questioning, _Megan? Who’s Megan? You’re Megan?_

_Witsec. New identity_ , she reminded him. _Megan King now._

_William?_

_Jonas King._

Oliver’s delight at his son bearing his middle name was fleeting, but it made Felicity grin.

“Thanks, Meg,” the customer smiled at her.

“No problem.” She turned to walk away, but the customer called out her name again.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out for a drink after your shift ends?”

Oliver’s anger and jealousy surged through her. She pushed it down, plastering on a disinterested yet apologetic face as she answered, “Sorry, I have to pick my son up from baseball practice.” As she strode off, she sent _Relax, Caveman!_ “You’re the only man I’m interested in,” she muttered.

She rolled her eyes at the pulse of satisfaction he returned. _Good. I love you._

_Love you too._

* * *

When Felicity jolted awake, soaked in cold sweat and crying at two in the morning, it wasn’t because she’d been suffering from a nightmare, it was because her husband had. For some reason, Oliver had completely released his mental barriers in his sleep and Felicity could feel every single ounce of pain, anguish, and sadness he’d been holding back from her. It was enough to make her start sobbing, clutching her head in agony.

The archer seemed to immediately realize he’d woken her up, because his protective walls slammed back into place. Felicity gasped in relief as the throbbing ache of her heart, that feeling of it nearly tearing apart, faded. _Oh god, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Felicity, I’m sorry, please forgive me, I’M SORRY._

His alarm, fear, and sorrow were leaking through the bond, despite his efforts to shut it.

She was trembling as she tried to soothe him. _It’s okay, I forgive you. Love you, miss you, forgive you, it’s okay_ , she shakily responded. Felicity had no idea what he’d been dreaming about to scare him so much, and frankly, she didn’t want to know. Oliver must have sensed that, because she could feel him drawing away, backing out. _NO!_ she panicked. _No, Oliver, stay, please, don’t leave. Love you, miss you, stay!_

_Hurt you…_

“But you’re hurting more,” she croaked. “Please don’t leave… let me…”

She poked at the bond, prodding delicately until he opened up slightly. As soon as there was an opportunity, Felicity reached out through their connection and as well as she could, wrapped herself mentally around her husband, bombarding him with waves of calm and reassurance. It took a minute or two, but Oliver eventually relaxed, his tension disappearing. Their souls, entwined as they were, comforted one another until both of them were quiet and set at rest.

_Thank you,_ Oliver said, soft and hesitant.

“You’re welcome,” she murmured. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

_NO._

“Okay, sorry, sorry…” Running her fingers through her damp hair, she glanced over at her bedside clock, noting that she had to be up in four hours so she could get to work on time. “Do you think you can get back to sleep?”

Oliver didn’t say anything in response, just sent a pulse of anxiety, letting her know that he was still a little too on edge to fall back to sleep. Felicity tried to think of how she might be able to help, but could only really think of one solution… something they’d done before, when she’d been on a business trip in Gotham while Oliver was back home, and he’d had a panic attack after a bad patrol and needed to be settled down so he could sleep.

_Let me help_ , she whispered.

_How?_ he asked.

Eyes shuttering closed, Felicity imagined herself trailing her fingertips lightly over Oliver’s shoulders, down his chest and abs to the V at the bottom of his hips. She imagined herself nipping gently at his neck, peppering kisses over his collarbones. And then she projected those thoughts over to her husband. She felt his inhalation of shock, felt the sudden heat erupting in his belly. _Let me HELP_ , she said pointedly.

_Felicity…_

_Please._

_Okay_ , he agreed.

His consent was all she needed - she immediately visualized unzipping his pants, generic grey ones since she didn’t know what he was actually wearing - and pulling out his length, teasing it to hardness. There was an explosion of bliss translated through the bond and she could almost see Oliver bucking his hips upwards with a whimper as he laid in bed. As she envisioned herself stroking him tenderly, Felicity slipped her own hand down, starting to touch herself. Oliver must have been able to sense it, because he sent her an image of his own conceptualization, his fingers grasping hold of her waist, pulling her towards him atop blankets as he began to kiss her. She moaned quietly, arching her back when her husband sent her the feeling of him slipping his fingers inside her. It was almost as if he was right there with her, crooking his fingers just right in the way he knew caused her to melt.

She uttered a thready gasp. _Oliver!_

_Felicity_ , he whined, groaning when in her projection, she tightened her hand a little and stroked faster, until he was tumbling over the edge. _FELICITY!_

It had been too long since they’d been together and it was too overwhelming for both of them. His orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave of pleasure, causing Felicity’s brain to short out as she yelled her own release. With their connection and shared emotions, both of them climaxing simultaneously was so intense that she nearly passed out. Her entire body tingled from head to toe, as if constant, faint electrical surges were shocking her nerves. She shivered as Oliver sent her the feeling of him rubbing his hand over her bare back, caressing down her spine as they relaxed, utterly boneless and unwound.

“That was 100% better than any kind of phone sex,” Felicity sighed, curling up and hugging her pillow to her chest. “I’ll take telepathic sex over phone sex every day.”

Oliver laughed through the bond. She keened when he projected the image of nuzzling her neck and coiling around her back so he could cradle her against him. _I love you. Love you so much. Miss you, love you, miss you._

“Love you too,” she mumbled. “Do you think you’ll be able to get back to sleep now?”

_Hmmm, yes._

“Okay… goodnight. Talk tomorrow?”

_Tomorrow._

* * *

“Were you okay last night?” William asked, twirling his spoon in the milk of his cereal bowl as he watched Felicity check for any updates about Star City using Lyla’s encrypted laptop. It was early morning. Felicity would take William with her to work so she could begin her six am shift, and he would stick around until he had to walk to school, which was only two blocks away from the coffee shop.

Felicity froze, halfway through her searches for anything to do with Wild Dog or Black Canary. Had William heard what she and Oliver had been doing last night? “Last night? Why’d you ask?”

“It sounded like you were having a nightmare,” he shrugged.

She tried to duck her chin down so her stepson couldn’t see her flushed face, red from embarrassment. “I was fine.”

“Was it Dad?”

God, why did William have to be so perceptive?

“He had a rough night,” she said. “Wasn’t… wasn’t sleeping well.”

William rose to his feet so he could place his dirty bowl and spoon into the sink. “None of us sleep very well anymore,” he muttered under his breath. Felicity frowned. Raising his voice, Will continued, “I’m going to soccer practice after school, I’m gonna be home late.”

“Do you want me to come pick you up?”

“No, I can walk.”

_Morning!_

Felicity jerked at Oliver’s sudden greeting in her mind, accidentally knocking the laptop to the floor. The bond was open by a sliver, allowing them some communication, but mostly cutting off their emotions. Whenever Oliver opened the bond like that, Felicity knew that he was hurt and injured and didn’t want her to feel his pain. He didn’t seem to be in any pain last night, so he’d been attacked sometime in the last four hours.

William glanced up at her. “You alright?”

“Yeah, sorry,” she shook her head. “Oliver’s just saying good morning, I wasn’t expecting it.”

“Tell him good morning from me,” the kid said, before grabbing a snack for school, stuffing it into his backpack and disappearing to search for his sneakers in his bedroom.

_William says good morning_ , she relayed.

_William… still angry with me,_ was Oliver’s response, followed by a pang of sadness and regret.

_Get better… with time_ , she tried to reassure him.

There was a nervous pause and then Oliver asked, _You? You angry… with me?_

Felicity didn’t get to answer, because the doorbell rang. The connection with her husband dropped off and Oliver retreated to the back of her mind, still observing and listening to her thoughts but not taking up her focus. A delivery guy was waiting outside with a small package and once Felicity signed for it, she quickly locked the door and carefully watched until the guy clambered into his van and left. All of her mail was cleared by an ARGUS agent before she received it, so she knew it wasn’t dangerous, but she still liked to be cautious.

She cut the cardboard box open with a pair of scissors and raised an eyebrow at the two small, blue velvet bags inside. Taking them out, she placed the heavier one down on the countertop and carefully untied the one in her hand, holding it upside down.

Oliver’s wedding ring plopped into her palm.

She stared at it for a moment, speechless and astonished.

_WHAT IS THIS_ , she demanded, slamming on the bond with such force that her words were pushed through despite it being shut.

_Ring_ , came Oliver’s resigned response. _My ring._

“This is meant to stay on your finger,” she gritted out, fumbling with the platinum band. “Why are you sending it to me?”

_Can’t wear… not allowed in prison_ , he replied. _Not safe… could get stolen. Want with you. Safe with you. You… have my heart. Have my soul. Now have ring too._

She couldn’t argue with him, not when he sounded so sincere. She knew there was no way to send it back to him as well, and if they wouldn’t allow him to wear it in Slabside, was there really any point in trying to send it back? Inhaling with a shudder, Felicity unclasped the silver chain on which she was keeping her own wedding band on, and slid Oliver’s band onto there too. His ring was just big enough to fit snugly around hers and the two rings rested comfortably at the base of her throat. 

_Thank you_ , Oliver said quietly.

“You’re welcome. What’s in this other bag?” She picked up the heavier bag, grazing her fingers over the velvet and trying to feel what was inside.

Her husband propelled a little spark of fondness through the bond. _It’s for William. Made it. Before all… this. Forgot to give to him. John found it for me._

“Will,” she called, leaning around the corner to catch sight of her stepson. He was emerging from his bedroom, ready to leave for school. “Your dad sent you something. Apparently he made it a while ago and forgot to give it to you.”

“He made it?” William took the bag, peering inside of it.

He shook its contents out into his hand. It took every ounce of strength within Felicity not to cry. William appeared to be holding back tears as well. Oliver had taken one of his smaller green arrowheads and fashioned it into a pendant. The arrowhead was attached to a thin, brown woven leather cord. There was a small engraving on the back, saying _Dear William. Now I will always be with you, and not just in your heart. Dad x_. William didn’t even hesitate to put it on, sniffling as he did up the clasp and tucked the arrowhead under his shirt.

“Tell him thanks,” he whispered, sounding choked up. He swiped his backpack from the kitchen table and headed outside to the car.

She smiled. _He says thanks._

_William? Like it?_ Oliver questioned frantically.

_Loves it,_ she told him honestly.

* * *

Felicity knew something was wrong when after saying multiple _Good mornings_ to Oliver one day through the bond, he didn’t respond. Even when Oliver was injured and didn’t want to talk to her, he would _always_ reply to her good mornings with his own, even if he just said those two words and shut her out again. No matter how much she prodded and poked at her connection to him, her husband never reacted, never sent her any emotions back.

In fact, Felicity couldn’t sense _anything_ from Oliver.

The bond was open. He wasn’t there to stop her from swinging the doors wide so that there was no barrier between their souls or minds. She should be able to feel _everything_ from him. But she felt _nothing_. He was just… _gone_. It was as if he was _dead_.

Not many things terrified Felicity, but this? This did.

She pulled out the burner phone hidden in the bag of caster sugar that had remained untouched since their arrival at their new home. It was only to be used in emergencies, but her husband not responding to her? The fact she couldn’t even tell whether or not he was alive through their bond? That warranted an emergency.

“I can’t feel him,” she told John, before he could even say hello to her or ask what was going on. “John, I can’t feel Oliver, our bond is open but I can’t sense him at all. He’s not responding to me and I’m _scared_.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Felicity,” John tried to reassure her, but Felicity could hear the hint of uncertainty in his voice. “I saw him yesterday, he was… roughed up, but okay.”

“That was yesterday,” she growled. “This is _today_.”

“Lyla says she’ll visit him,” John said. “Don’t panic… he’ll be okay.”

She was unable to keep back her tears anymore. There was this horrible emptiness in her mind where Oliver usually was and she felt so _alone_ without him there. She was so worried. “There’s this… absence. Where he usually is. I… I didn’t even feel that when he was nearly killed by Ra’s, John. I’m _dying_ here and - and I’m worried he is too!”

“Give us five hours,” he said seriously. “We’ll get back to you then. Just try and stay calm until then, okay?”

“O-okay…”

Felicity was a nervous wreck for the rest of the day. Her hands trembled and she couldn’t concentrate on anything. They sent her home from work because they were concerned she was going to pass out on the job, and she could muster the energy to curl up on the couch with a blanket around her and cry silently as she desperately tried to reach Oliver through their bond, but didn’t get anything from him. William was at school so had no idea what was going on, but she couldn’t help but wonder what she was going to have to tell him when he got home. She didn’t think she could handle telling her stepson that his father was dead.

She scrambled off the couch when the burner phone began ringing a couple of minutes after the five-hour mark had passed, lunging for it where it was sitting on the coffee table.

“Yes?” she breathed, seconds after picking up. “How’s Oliver? What’s going on, what’s happened, is he okay?”

“Felicity… I need you to sit down.”

“Oh god.” She collapsed to her knees, the overpowering dread making her legs weak and head spin. “John…”

“Oliver is alive, Felicity. He’s _alive_ , okay?”

“But…” she prompted, voice shaking.

“He’s missing. He vanished out of his cell last night and there appears to be no explanation for it. The guards were all knocked out, CCTV was corrupted and none of the other inmates on his block are talking. There’s no way to track him. Oliver’s gone.”

“Then _how do you know he’s alive?_ ”

John was lost for words. “... Felicity… I’m sorry…”

She threw the phone with a scream across the room so it smashed on the wall. Horror sweeping over her, she curled up in the corner, knees to her chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Her husband was missing. Their soulmate connection was silent, the quietest it had ever been. She had absolutely no answers. He could be dead, and she’d have no clue.

That was how William found her when he returned home from school. As he knelt down next to her and drew her in for a hug, he whispered, “Something’s happened to Dad, hasn’t it?”

She struggled to get a single word out, yet somehow managed to explain to her stepson what had happened despite her crying.

“Do you think he’s still alive?” William asked, tears in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she buried her head into his shoulder. “Will, I’m so sorry, I - I don’t know.”

“But if he is - wherever he is, you can find him, right?” he pleaded. “I mean, you’re Overwatch. You can find Dad?”

She nodded, tightening her arms around him. “I won’t stop searching. I swear, we will find out what happened to Oliver.”

Glancing up towards the ceiling, she brushed against the bond, shuddering at the void that had appeared there. But maybe, just maybe Oliver was somehow still there…

_I’ll find you, Oliver,_ she promised, concentrating so much that she almost blacked out. 

_No matter where you are… what you’re doing… I will find you._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! i would appreciate your feedback xxx


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